Through Iron Bars
by violaqueen93
Summary: While imprisoned in the Queen's jail, James makes an unexpected acquaintance. Who is this girl, and how does she know him?


He had given up trying to force his way out of the cell in the first few minutes after the Queen left with the magic mirror. Made of pure rock and iron bars, he couldn't escape from the cell even if it wasn't reinforced by magic, let alone evade the guards that stood watch at the end of the passageway. Not with his shoulder.

Groaning, he collapsed back onto the ground, leaning against the sharp rocks behind him. He rubbed his shoulder absently. The Queen wouldn't kill him, that much was certain, at least not until she had Snow within her grasp. The fact that he was the bait to lure her in tormented him to no end. He wanted to let Snow know that she must stay away, that she mustn't try to rescue him, because that would lead to her death, and subsequently his. No, the best option at this point for everyone involved was for Snow to stay far, far away from the Queen. He wished he had told her that in the scant minutes he had to talk to her. He would die, that was certain, but she would live. And that was all that mattered.

"James?"

He sat up straighter, turning his head to see the cell next to his. Out of the gloom a girl sat forward on her hands, her blue eyes trained on him, mouth slightly open in surprise. "James, is that you?"

He lurched up on one knee, struggling to make out her features in the dim light. "How do you know me?"

"James, it's me, Belle," Her voice was soft, accented, though tinged with a hint of curiosity. She drew closer to the bars, grasping them with delicate fingers. "Whatever are you doing here?"

James just stared at her uncomprehendingly. He was quite certain he'd never seen the girl before, and yet she greeted him with such familiarity. Clearing his throat, he slid over to the bars as well when a thought struck him. "When was the last time you saw me?"

A look of confusion crossed over her face, but she answered anyway. "I believe it was several years ago, when your father broke off our engagement." She gave him an odd look. "You...are James, right?"

"Yes I'm James but…no, no, Belle, that James was my brother. I'm his twin. King George took me in after he died."

"King George died?"

"No, James."

"But you're James."

"I am. It was the other James that died."

Belle stared at him, perplexed. "Perhaps you ought to start at the beginning then."

So, as it offered him a way to distract himself from brooding over Snow, James found himself pouring his soul out to this unfamiliar girl in the adjoining cell. He told her everything, from how he and his brother were separated at birth, how he was tricked by King George into taking his brother's identity. How he was forced into agreeing to marry Abigail, and how that led to him meeting Snow. He explained how King George manipulated Snow after she snuck into the castle, how Abigail had aided him in his search for her and how Snow had forgotten about him due to a potion from Rumplestiltskin. At this Belle drew in a sharp breath, but James, oblivious, continued on. In a quieter voice he related to her how he finally found Snow. "She remembered me. And now I've lost her again."

Belle, who had been silent the whole time James had been talking, reached through the bars and laid a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry."

He gave a mirthless smile. "If only King George's men were faster."

"No stop," Belle chided gently. "You said it yourself, without you there was nothing but emptiness in her heart. She needed to remember you more than you needed her to remember. It'll all turn out well James," she said earnestly, squeezing his arm. "True love will always find a way. All we can do is have faith."

The words, so similar to the ones he had spoken to Snow only hours before, caused him to snort slightly. There was no other options but faith based on their current predicament. The tiny lilt of sadness in Belle's voice gave him pause however.

Glancing over at her, he noticed she was lost in thought, eyes downcast. The ragged state of her gown and the unkemptness of her hair suggested she had been languishing in her cell for quite some time, and suddenly James realized that he had never asked her about how she came to be imprisoned in the Queen's dungeon. When he asked her he was met with a low laugh.

"Much the same reason you are, I suppose. As bait, as a bargaining chip. The only difference is that my love doesn't know I'm here."

"Why would the Queen do that?" asked James, frowning.

She sighed. "I suppose she's saving me for a time when she has nothing else left to use against him. You see, the man I love is powerful enough to threaten the Queen and she's thinking perhaps revealing my existence here will be enough to stop him." Belle looked thoroughly depressed as she finished. "She's wrong though. He doesn't love me."

Now it was James' turn to reach out a comforting hand to her forlorn form. "Belle, I don't think that is true. Think about it. If your love truly did not care for you, you'd be of no use to the Queen. The fact that she's kept you locked up is verification that he still holds something of you in his heart."

She looked up and gave him weak smile. They sat in contented silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly James spoke. "You mentioned you knew my brother. How so?"

Belle looked thoughtful. "Well, we were childhood acquaintances. Friends, you know, but never anything more. Once I was of age, King George and my father arranged for us to be married in order to strengthen the kingdoms. The Ogre Wars flared up along our borders again, and father almost bankrupted the kingdom fighting them back. The match was no longer considered suitable to King George and so the contract was nullified."

James grimaced. That sounded exactly like King George. "Were you happy when you found out you wouldn't have to marry him?"

Belle gave a halfhearted smile. "Well, I can't say I was exactly thrilled. As long as I was to be forced to marry I much rather would have my future husband be a friend rather than a stranger, which was what Gaston was."

"Gaston?"

"The man my father arranged for me to wed after King George canceled the previous engagement," Belle clarified. "I didn't like him very much. James was much kinder."

Her voice broke slightly, and James studied her concernedly. "You must have known him very well then," James gently observed. He hadn't realized how close she must have been to James, and he inwardly winced at how callous he had been in relaying to her the news of his death. "Would you mind telling me more about him? After all he was my brother and I still hardly know anything about him."

She smiled at him through tears. "Of course. Well, he was a very…dutiful sort I suppose. Always ready to sacrifice himself for his kingdom. Brave, but very level headed, never the reckless type. The knights would follow him anywhere. Compassionate," Belle added, her eyes a million miles away. "Always down in the villages speaking with his subjects, helping where he could." She laughed softly. "Seems slightly odd now doesn't it? Royalty helping plow the field of some common farmer. But that was James."

They were both quiet for a moment. "He sounds like he was a good man. I regret that I never got to meet him," James murmured sympathetically.

Belle looked up at him. "I'm sure he would've thought the same thing about you James," she replied, a slight quirk to her mouth. She gripped his hand tightly, then her eyes widened. "Quick, they're coming!" she hissed.

Scrambling away from the bars they both dove to their respective corners, taking shelter in the shadows as the prison doors banged open. Cries of pain and fear echoed throughout the jail as the unfortunate prisoners were dragged down to the door at the end by grim faced guards. It was interrogation time, and the prison smelled of fear. James was just able to make out Belle's slight frame several feet away, and he blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the dimness. She gave a small nod.

He fell asleep to the wails of the damned.


End file.
